


Bemuse

by Extraordinaire



Series: Adventures of Illidan and Leo [4]
Category: World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: Legion - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen, not canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:47:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25178647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Extraordinaire/pseuds/Extraordinaire
Relationships: Female Worgen/Illidan Stormrage, Illidan Stormrage/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Adventures of Illidan and Leo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1770016
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Bemuse

Anduin stared speechless. Did… Khadgar just say that? 

“She _what?”_ He must have heard wrong.

Archmage Khadgar took a deep breath and nodded. “I know, I know. I still don’t quite believe it myself.”

“She _ran away_ with _Illidan Stormrage?_ She _eloped_ with the _Betrayer?”_ Anduin could not believe his ears. This was surreal. 

Khadgar shrugged long and deep. “Well…” his aging face apologized. “I wouldn’t call it _eloped.”_

Anduin sank into a chair and huffed. He had never been so bewildered in his life. “Aunt Leah…”

“Leopoldanna,” Khadgar corrected, brushing it off with a wave. “It’s a common mistake.”

Anduin glared up at the old man. The Commander’s full name was the _last_ of his worries right now. She ventured with him through Pandaria, and she had been there for him when his father King Varian died. Anduin considered her his Aunt.

“Gilnean names are too hard to pronounce,” he shot back. He couldn’t help feel a little rebellious against Khadgar, and the Gilnean King, at that. They had both tried to hide his father’s death from him and called him _too young to understand._

Khadgar frowned in confusion. _“Genn_ isn’t.” The Gilnean King. 

“Genn’s not a woman.” Gilnean womens names were the worst.

“Well, what about Princess Tess? Or Queen Mia?” 

Anduin sighed into his hand. “That’s _not the point,_ Khadgar. And I’m _King,”_ he looked up. “I can call anyone whatever I want.” He sighed again and waved his hands, squeezing his eyes tight. Maybe when he opened them, this would turn out nothing but a crazy dream. “You didn’t _stop_ her from leaving? _You, Velen_ … _none_ of you _stopped_ her from leaving? With the _Betrayer?”_ This was like a wild dwarven tavern story. 

Khadgar shrugged again, his brows high in doubt. “If… it matters, I believe they care for each other.”

Anduin stared. “But you’re talking about the _Betrayer._ He committed war crimes against his _own race_ for demonic power. No matter how much he aided us against the Legion, he’s unstable.”

“Yes…” Khadgar nodded. “But _she_ trusts him, and he is different around her. I think that’s what counts.”

The young king scoffed. “She couldn’t have eloped with someone more _credible?_ Like… _Sylvanas?”_

Khadgar snorted. “Now _there’s_ a thought,” he chuckled.

Anduin dropped his face into his hands and groaned. “Aunt Leah, _what_ were you _thinking?”_ he asked her absence. His palms muffled his voice.

“Leopoldanna,” Khadgar corrected; an automated response. Anduin ignored him. “If I may, Your Majesty, I believe it was not done without consideration.” 

Anduin glared at him again. 

“As I said, she does trust him. She knows more about him save for Illidan himself.”

“That doesn’t mean she thought this through.”

“True, but it’s too late to stop that now. The only thing we can do is pray she made the right choice.”

“The right choice for _whom?”_ Anduin challenged. _He_ trusted her more than anyone. He could not confide in anyone _else._ To know she _just left_ without wanting _at least_ to say good-bye...

Khadgar hesitated. The King of Stormwind felt the old man’s eyes on him. “Anduin.” A quiet sigh fell from the Archmage. “Let me share something with you.” Anduin raised his head in defeat, but Khadgar sympathized, not scolded. The old mage drew strange magic from his head. “It was Illidan’s last request I not pry into this, but I think this warrants breaking the rules.”

“What are you doing?” 

“Pulling a memory. Leopoldanna should have taken this to Mount Hyjal. It contained a final parting message from Illidan.”

“Aunt Leah,” Anduin corrected.

Khadgar didn’t flinch. “Well, _Leopoldanna,”_ he corrected without missing a beat, “went with Illidan instead. So _I_ heard the message he left for her. I have a feeling it will ease your mind on her decision.”

Anduin tried to keep an open mind about everyone, but Illidan’s methods had not redeemed him thus far. 

A hazy cloud appeared over the war table between the two men. From a pale glowing draenei crystal, a horned figure shimmered like a reflection on water. “...not two messages, but three. The last is for you, Leo,” Illidan said.

 _Aunt Leah,_ Anduin corrected in his head. 

Illidan continued in his echoing haze: _“Dalah'surfal,_ I know you are angry with me. Please know this had to be done. I never intended to return… but when I decided that, I did not know you as I do now. Had I known what would happen…” Illidan broke the message to sigh. “I do not know what would have become of me if you weren’t there to stop Xe’ra. I _detest_ that memory, yet… I also thank her. She brought us together. I have never had more to lose than I do now. Know that I would not have accomplished half of what I did on Argus without you at my side. I have never trusted anyone as I trust you, I have never… you have inhabited my mind for _months._ When it seemed all our efforts were for nothing, all I needed was to look at you, and I was confident again. You have made _every_ sacrifice worth it. _Dalah'surfal,_ I can _never_ repay you for that.” 

Anduin wasn’t sure this was the same Illidan he’d met. _This…_ was the Betrayer? Anduin only met him once, but he had not seemed the lovesick type.

“I am _hollowed_ even _thinking_ about our farewell. There is so much I want you to know, but I am out of time. Know that I would relive my entire life _all over again_ just to have these last months with you once more…” With that, Illidan faded out abrupt. 

“The rest is… meant for her ears only. But I hope you can see why I shared this with you,” Khadgar said. 

Anduin nodded, though he wasn’t sure how to process Khadgar’s last memory of Illidan. “So…” He breathed through his nose and leaned back. “He… _Illidan Stormrage_ the _Betrayer…_ loves my aunt. _Truly_ loves her. And she loves him?”

“It would so seem. It’s too bad you never saw them together. They made quite the pair.”

Anduin grimaced. _“How_ did that happen? She hardly mentioned him when she last stopped in.” 

“Long hours of overtime and a good Noblegarden prank.”

“He _pranked_ her?” Though the notion of Illidan Stormrage hunting for chocolate eggs bemused him more. 

“No, it was _she_ who did the pranking. As always.”

Anduin nodded. “Sounds about right.” He sighed again. There would be a lot of that today. “So she’s not in danger.”

Khadgar teetered his head. “She’s out in Pantheon space. Who knows how dangerous that is for us fragile humans.”

“And it was her choice?” Anduin needed confirmation. Not that he knew of any ways to rescue Aunt Leah if she needed it.

“It was her choice,” Khadgar assured with a rolling nod. 

“Okay.” Anduin nodded too, then met Khadgar’s eyes in dread of the answer he now needed. “Any ideas how we tell Genn his star soldier deserted?”


End file.
